The Heart of the Starks: Aftermath
by Lisa-Sina-912
Summary: Sequel to "The Heart of the Starks". [WARNING for Terminal Illness, and Character Death] The Starks deal with the aftermath of losing Peter. [Based on MCU. Alternate Universe in which Pepper, Tony, Harley, Peter, and Morgan are all blood family. Mildly inspired by the film My Sister's Keeper.] (Rated T just in case for language)
1. 1 Morgan: Acknowledgement

**A/N:**** Hellooo... And Long time no update...**

**I'm blaming my busy life as always, but for this one, I really had a lot of trouble writing. For one, this was too depressing that I had a lot of trouble just opening up the file that I was working on... :( And I just couldn't keep it going and had to scrap and start all over again multiple times. And for another, this fic was not a part of the original plan, which was just one short one-shot. But then I abruptly expanded this whole thing and had to fill in the gap with this particular story. Unfortunately, I don't consider this to be the best one I've written. I do hope that I'll get better as I go on. **

**Good news is, I'm working very hard to write not only this series, but all the other series that I have started, so I do believe that I'll be returning real soon (this time for sure!). **

**Okay, enough with my babbling. Here's the actual story. I hope you guys enjoy!**

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**01\. Morgan: Acknowledgement**

Just like her brothers, Morgan was a bright kid. She possessed the genetically inherited intelligence that ran in her family. Thus, even at the young age that she was in, she knew what death meant - what it meant when Peter closed his eyes for the last time.

It meant Peter was never coming back.

It meant Peter broke the promise he had made to her.

It was quiet and peaceful. The way Peter's eyes closed slowly was not so different from that of when he would fall asleep. Maybe that was what it was; him falling asleep.

But Morgan could tell the difference. There was something more to it - something cold and scary. Something that made her hurt. Something that made her want to cry.

Yet, she didn't. There were no tears in her eyes like in Harley's nor did she sob like her parents. She looked down at Peter's calm face from where she was being held in Harley's arms. She stared at her lifeless brother. She didn't like what she was seeing. So she pouted, turning her head away and burying it in Harley's chest. And she felt his arms tighten slightly.

She never cried, not even once.

And she still wasn't crying two days later when the funeral ceremony took place.

Morgan snuggled deeper into her mother's side. Everything was uncomfortable - the black dress she was wearing, the heavy air among the mourning people, and the sight of the place that seemed to consist only of black and white. Then again, nothing had pleased her and nothing gave her comfort since the day Peter had left.

Morgan wanted the whole thing to end soon. She whined softly as she leaned into her mother, who quietly patted her in response. Pepper's eyes fixed themselves on the front of the room, where Tony had just gone up to the spot behind the podium and turned around so that he could face the attendees.

Morgan also looked at her father. She then took a short brief glimpse at Harley, who was sitting at her other side. His eyes were looking forward, most likely at Tony like Pepper's were, but there was no sign of light or concentration in them. Morgan returned her attention to Tony as well.

Tony looked down as if he was lost in his thought. He took a moment before clearing his throat and finally spoke up.

"I guess I should start by thanking you for being here to remember and... mourn Peter."

No sound came from the audience, making the air even heavier and thus Morgan even more uncomfortable.

Tony continued speaking.

"But I don't really see the need or point in doing so. If you've even at least remotely known Peter, then you'd know what kind of person he is- was. And that right there would have been enough for you to come all the way and be sitting here."

Tony stopped once again, his eyes drifting slightly downward into the nothing of thin air.

"That was the kind of boy he was," he then said. "He had that energy, that kindness that I could never event try to imitate."

Morgan immediately thought of her brother. She remembered how he made her laugh and how he laughed. How he would play with her and how he, Harley, and she would hang out. She thought of how real and close and, at the same time, distant they all seemed. Memories flashed through her mind, provoking her cravings for the embrace from someone - for a specific someone to hug her and make her feel warm.

"I guess he gets them from his mom because I certainly didn't have anything like those," Tony said. "A good thing, too. I'm really grateful for that."

Tony had what seemed like a forced attempt of a smile on his face, which turned out terribly into a painful frown.

"Like all my other children, Peter was... the greatest thing that happened to me. He was the light, the very heart of me, of all of us."

The way he gritted out every single syllable was enough to show just how much might he had to put into the simple act of talking.

"But more than that, he had so much potential. So much to give to this world. He could have been so much, so big with the greatness he had in him. And I'm sure that not only my world but the entire universe had just lost one of its brightest lights."

Morgan felt her mother sniffle next to him. She was also sure, even without looking, that Harley was probably crying again, too.

"Although we lost him... he will not lose us. We will remember him, we will not let him go. He will... he will not be forgotten. He will always be here with us."

With it, he finished up his speech. By the end of his words, Tony himself was shedding tears.

Morgan watched her father walk down and back toward where the rest of the family were sitting. She didn't pay much attention afterward. She couldn't recall what went on after her father sat back down in his seat next to Harley's. All she could think about that moment was how badly she wanted to get out of the place.

Morgan looked around. Most, if not all of the Avengers were crying. Ned had buried his face completely in his hands and didn't look up once. Sniffles came from here and there among the crowd.

It felt weird for her to sit quietly as people cried all around her. Even those that do not have a particular connection with Peter were crying. And yet, Morgan, Peter's sister herself was not. She had no tears welling up in her eyes.

Morgan knew death was a sad thing. She did feel sad, too. She felt like she was about to and a part of her even wanted to. Yet, she didn't cry. Or maybe she couldn't.

Morgan was about to squirm and twist her body in her body as a show of her bad mood when Pepper softly nudged her.

"Come on, honey," she said.

Pepper had Morgan stand up. She took the girl's hand in hers and led her.

Tony and Harley had stood up as well and walked out to the aisle and over toward the dark-colored casket that was silently lain at the side in the front part of the room. Pepper took Morgan and stood behind Harley, constantly trying to wipe the tears off her face. Morgan looked at the wooden box. Her parents told her that Peter was lying in that casket.

She looked up at her mother with a questioning look.

"We're saying goodbye to Peter," said Pepper. She had to sniffle a few times to be able to say the words.

Goodbye. Hadn't the family already said it when he fell asleep in the hospital room? Morgan wondered. Peter was already gone. Everyone said so. She watched him die. What is the use of saying goodbye if he is already gone?

Then it hit Morgan once again. Peter was gone. She didn't know why, but it made her hurt as if she thought about it for the first time. It was weird. It had already been two days since Peter had died. She had known for two full days that Peter had left this world. Why was she feeling something now?

Morgan saw Tony standing before the casket and looking down at the inside of it. He didn't say anything and she couldn't see his face from behind him. Still, the sight of it was upsetting. The same was the case for Harley. When Tony stepped away from the casket, seemingly wiping his eyes, his son took his place. Harley also didn't say anything out loud, but the way he looked down at the casket was not so different from the way his father did. He sobbed in a suppressed manner, obviously trying but failing to hide it.

As Morgan and Pepper came closer to Peter's casket with every step, Morgan felt more painful. She suddenly didn't want to see the inside of the wooden case. But when Harley was done with whatever he was doing in front of it, he moved on and Pepper stepped forward and brought Morgan nearer with her.

Pepper looked down with a loving yet sad face. Her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying she had been doing for the past three days. She took a moment of silence before she bent down and picked Morgan up in her arms. It was finally the time for the girl to take a look at whatever was waiting for her inside the casket.

And she did. Morgan looked down at the calm and eerie looking Peter. His face was the way she always had seen and remembered. He looked peaceful. He didn't seem tired or sick. He looked like he was sleeping. It reminded Morgan of the day Peter had fallen into the very state he was in that moment - how his eyelids moved for the last time to close and cover the bright eyes for the last time. And it made her think that maybe Peter could still open his eyes. That he could easily wake up with a smile as if nothing happened. That maybe he wasn't truly gone.

Yet, the ghastly and eerie atmosphere coming out of his motionless form crushed all the last hope that even Morgan herself didn't know she had. As her mother told her, this was the last goodbye. It was the reality, the stone-cold truth.

Peter was gone, and there was no way of him coming back.

The first drop of tear fell from her eyes.

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**A/N: Always, thank you so much for reading my fic! All the kudos and comments mean so much to me and motivate me to keep writing! 3**

**This is a chaptered story, but it won't be long. And also, to cheer you up from this very dark and sad thing: this is the last depressing story in this series and I have more happier ones coming up! In fact, I already have the next story done and ready, so it will be uploaded soon. :)**

**I hope you all have a great day, wherever you all are, and I hope to see you again in my other fics as well!**

**Best, Lisa :)**


	2. 2 Harley: Avoidance

**A/N: ****The next part is FINALLY here!**

**I feel like I never can keep my promise to update soon... But I indeed have been working on this story. The biggest issue I had was that I just couldn't keep it going for some reason. I had to scrap the whole thing and start all over again for more than 5 times with Harley's part. And I have to tell you that this is not one of my strongest piece... :\ I think it kinda made me depressed, writing about all these deep emotions. So I just had to get this over with, more than anything.**

**Anyways, the bottom line is that it's finally here, and I'm so sorry for the late update!**

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**02\. Harley: Avoidance**

Harley was adept at running away. since a very young age, he was never good at facing his troubles nor his consequences; it had been made very clear via his hiding in the closet whenever he spilled orange juice on the white carpet in his parents' room or how he kept himself in his room after a big quarrel with them. It wasn't different when it came to his feelings, for he refused to engage or deal with them.

"If you need to talk about it, you know I'm always available, right?"

The members of the Avengers each came up to him and offered the same words. They truly meant it - and Harley also knew that they meant it. He was well aware that many people around him were willing to offer him the care and support. It was just that he never asked for it.

"Thanks," was the response he gave them. "But I'm fine. Really."

And he felt like he was fine. He wasn't crying uncontrollably nor was he a complete mess. He was standing straight on his two feet and having a coherent conversation with others. He could give out polite greetings to the attendees.

He was holding up alright.

Except that he, and only he, could not see how hollow his eyes were. Only he himself didn't know that he was not okay in any way. Only he hadn't realized that he was completely shut down.

Maybe it was because of the numbness - the void that filled him the moment Peter's eyes came to a complete and final close. It was as if he went blind and deaf at once. All the connections to his senses seemed to have been severed. There were no thoughts, no words, and no feelings.

At the inevitable moment of the end, he had looked away. He clenched his jaw and swallowed the lump in his throat. He cast his eyes downward as if to hide his face that was covered in a thin layer of tears. Was it him just trying his hard not to show his brother his pained expression for the last time? Or was it his cowardly self attempting to run away from the torturing reality that was his brother's death?

Whatever it was, one thing was clear; he was a coward. He wasn't strong enough. He didn't dare face the reality, the world that only gave him and his family cruciating pain that was going to break them apart. Because he knew that the moment he did, he had to live a life that lost one of the most important things to him. He had to move on.

But how was that possible?

How could he live in the house where Peter had lived and sleep in the room knowing that the one next to his was now empty?

How could he be able to accept that his brother - the one that he had spent all the moments he can ever remember - was now gone from this world?

But if he just looked away, if he simply turned his eyes from the reality before him...

A part of him knew that he was being ridiculous. The last bit of his sound mind was fully aware that he was being as stupid as an ostrich hiding its head in a bush. And that last portion of his reason may have been yelling at him.

Face it, you idiot. He's gone.

It was true. Peter was now gone. Regardless of how much he wanted to deny it, it was a fact.

There was no choice for him but to accept it.

And it wasn't that he was trying to ignore the fact that Peter passed away. What he truly wanted to get away from was the pain he had to feel because of it - the blow that was hard enough to have him destroyed with just one single hit. He didn't want to feel the lack, the absence.

Thus, the easiest and most obvious choice was not to feel anything so that he can run far away.

And talking about it was the very opposite of an escape. There was no way Harley was going to choose it now.

That was why he kept quiet - since right after he left the hospital room, throughout the entirety of the funeral, and until the burial. He just quietly watched as his deceased brother, lying still in the wooden casket, was lowered into the ground and vanish beneath the dirt. He didn't say a single word as the soil covered the last remains of Peter entirely as if concealing his existence. Only the pale, brand-new gravestone stood to mark that there had once been a boy named Peter Benjamin Stark.

There were no tears, no cries, not even a word. And Harley wasn't sure if he will ever be able to talk again. Even when he spoke the minimal amount of words that needed to be said, his voice didn't go above a quiet mumble. Even that voice sounded so strange and distant - as if it wasn't him that was talking.

The ride home from the graveyard was quiet, and the penthouse that the family returned to was even quieter. Once they had reached the floor, Harley took no time in heading to his room. Closing the door, he walked straight to his bed and threw himself on it. All the energy, all the strength, had left him, leaving him to be nothing more than a shell. He looked up the ceiling, his mind blank and lost. It wasn't exhaustion that drained him. It was the void - the hole that ate up all his willpower, energy, and emotions.

If he had even a small fragment of his sound mind left, he would have laughed at himself. Maybe a part of him actually did - a part of him that he decided to ignore with all the pain and senses.

He knew he was being pathetic. He had known that this day would come - Peter's conditions were bound to bring this result. And he wondered what he would do when the day came; how he would react. He didn't get any answers then, but whatever he had expected, this emptiness was not a part of them.

Harley looked up at the white ceiling. The lack of color made him feel like he had departed from the world, away from reality, losing himself in his thoughts. His body felt weightless as he swam in the whiteness before his eyes.

Peter.

The name suddenly came to his mind. The name that he used to call everyday now seemed so strange and foreign. It was like he didn't know him anymore.

Peter.

This time, he tried calling it. It was as if he was desperately trying to grasp it as it slowly slipped out of his reach.

Peter.

The name brought back memories. Harley shut his eyes tightly, in an attempt to shield himself from them - to run away from them.

No, he didn't want to see them. He didn't want to feel them.

As much as he wanted his brother not to vanish from his mind, he also wanted him to disappear somehow. He couldn't bear the hurt.

The pain seemed to materialize into a physical form, giving him an ache in his head and chest.

Why did it hurt so much?

To be truthful, Harley couldn't understand why he was taking it so hard. Of course, Peter was his brother; he had every right and reason to grieve and mourn. Yet, why did it seem to hit the extreme?

If anyone was to ask him about the relationship he had with Peter, he would say that he wasn't particularly close to him. And he knew that Peter would probably say the same thing. They fought over petty things like who gets the shotgun in their dad's car or who gets to pick the channel on TV. They sometimes had a serious fight that had them not talking to each other for days on end. They had separate lives; their own friends and hobbies, interests that kept them respectively busy and away from each other. It wasn't like one needed the other all the time for everything.

But then, why was the void so big?

Why did he feel like he had just lost all the world around him?

Why, just why did it have to be his brother?

Harley bit his lips, trying to shake off all the thoughts and memories about Peter. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to deal with it. He didn't want to face the hurt.

It seemed, however, that he had lost all control over his own mind, for they began to seep into his brains little by little.

He once - or more than once, probably countless times - told Peter to 'go to hell'. Meaningless banter at the time, without a doubt. Peter often said the same thing to him, too.

But it was coming back to him now, bringing guilt and pain along with itself. Those small things, the little memories, were making themselves clearly known, sparkling most brightly and painfully.

God, if he only knew how hard he regretted ever saying that. If he could tell his brother that he never meant other than love and affection with anything and everything that he had ever said and done to him.

If he only knew that he would pray so hard for him to end up in the best heaven of heavens in the world, an eternity away from hell.

Harley's hand gripped the front of his shirt, right above his heart where it hurt more than ever. His eyes heated up as fresh tears began to fill them. He covered them with his free arm. But the tears eventually seeped through his closed eyelids, soaking the sleeve of his suit jacket. He rolled over to his side, curling up into a ball as if to protect himself. Maybe it was his effort to turn his back against the pain - to protect himself; to run away. He gripped the bedsheet tightly, forming a wrinkle that looked like a scar that would last forever. He buried his head in the smooth surface of the thick bedcover.

And he cried. He cried for the first time ever since he witnessed Peter's final moments. He let out his emotions, letting them overwhelm him. He wasn't sure if he did so out loud - if he did voice his noncoherent animal-like howls or not. But he was crying. Or was he? Did he really cry like there was no tomorrow coming? Or was it all nothing more than a dream?

It didn't matter. It shouldn't have mattered.

Because at that moment, he was not running away.

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**A/N: As always, thank you so much for reading this! I appreciate all your comments, favs, and follows! (I'm trying to reply to all the comments, but I often find them much later and miss them. I am so sorry about it, but I promise you that I read all of them! They really have me keep writing :) )**

**I hope everyone stays safe!**

**In Korea, we're experiencing a second widespread of COVID-19... I haven't heard that much of other countries' situations, but I really, REALLY hope that everyone's doing well.**

**Best, Lisa :)**


	3. 3 Tony: Anger

**A/N: Since I took such a long time in the update, I'm posting two chapters in a row today!**

**Like I said already in the last chapter, Harley's part was the hardest part for me to write for some reason, and it took so much time in finishing that up that I actually was one with this one before even before it. And to make up for the long wait that I've put you through, I decided it was better to put this up as well.**

**I hope you enjoy(?) it!**

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**03\. Tony: Anger**

The light turned on, brightening the spacious laboratory. What was once a noisy, busy workshop was now empty and hollow, even with all the cutting-edge machinery and tools. The Stark Tower was widely known to provide its privileged occupants with the most advanced technological systems. It was one of the most high-end, developed, and well-equipped scientific facilities in the world.

But now it was nothing more than an empty, useless space that had only produced failure.

Tony slowly took in the sight of the lifeless machines. For a few days - since the day Peter died, to be exact - the lab had been closed off. Not one person had been in there. Still, there were traces of active studies and researches left all around the tables, covering all the empty spaces on different surfaces. The remnants of the last resort were still there, staring right back at him.

Tony had to suppress the bursting urge to throw everything and smash them into the wall. He bit his lips and clenched his fists, trying to stay put and calm his body that was shaking so hard under the surging emotions. All the data that were written on boards and scribbled on different materials seemed to come to life and suffocate him from all directions. The desperation he had felt, the endless nights of analysis and investigations - it all didn't matter anymore. In the end, nothing mattered.

He had failed.

He failed miserably.

He walked aimlessly over to the closest table. He slowly picked one of the printed pages that showed charts and diagrams. They entered his sight but did not go all the way through into his brains. Instead, his mind played different images; memories of him working alongside Bruce Banner and a handful of medical staff day and night, frantically trying to find a way, a cure; the overwhelming sensation of fear and desperation that drove him into it; the sight of his son, his beloved boy, becoming more and more gaunt and weak everyday until he took the last breath and ended up as nothing but lifeless flesh and bone.

And in the middle of it all was Tony himself, who could do nothing but fail and watch the very person he had wanted to save with all costs slipping away from his grasp.

He had always been smart. A genius, people said. He had all the resources and wealth he ever needed. He was even a superhero. He had nothing to fear.

Then how did this happen?

Tony crumpled up the page he was holding tightly in his fist. He put all the frustration and pain into his hand to the point of his fingernails almost piercing through the skin of his palm. Then, as if it was not enough, he ripped it in half. And with it, the invisible strings he had been tied up in broke as well.

He let his emotions get the better of him. It took less than a minute for the once messy-yet-organized lab had papers and tools, along with broken pieces from shattered equipment cover its floor. Then he leaned on the now-empty desk, shaking all over.

What was the use of all the knowledge and technology if he couldn't even save one person? How could he call himself a superhero after being unable to save even one of the most precious people in his life?

Tears that he had been holding even as he witnessed the casket that held his son's body lower into the ground started to flow from his eyes. He let out quite a loud sob, not caring about anything. He cried and cried, wailing like an incoherent toddler. All the things he had been holding back for the sake of his family were all blowing up at once.

Now there was no turning back. There was no room for denial any more. The burial was the final closure - not an emotional but a factual one. Peter was now underneath the ground in a distant cemetery, trapped in a slumber that was to last forever.

Just a simple thought of not being able to touch his boy - to feel the life of his own child in his embrace - crushed him like he would never in a billion centuries recover.

He didn't know how long he was in such a state. All he could feel or care about was the raw feelings that flooded within him. But after god-knows-how-long, the thundering wave of his emotions was defeated by exhaustion. He hadn't realized how drained he was - he had been sleep-deprived for a few months in search of a miraculous cure for Peter and the previous few days couldn't be relaxing in any way. Even without realizing it, he was sitting on the messy floor, leaning against the support of the table. When he was looking up at the ceiling with empty eyes, the female AI voice quietly spoke up, as if it was being cautious.

"Boss," FRIDAY began. "You're in severe distress and exhaustion."

Tony didn't answer. He kept his blank eyes locked toward the ceiling above, breathing quietly.

"I suggest you take a rest and supplement nutrients."

There was still no response.

Then came silence. Even FRIDAY seemed like it was hesitating on the words it should offer. After a few seconds later, however, a sudden unexpected voice echoed within the lab.

"Dad."

Tony's eyes instantly gained focus and light as he jerked his head up and looked around like a madman. The pure shock on his face made him look like he was being haunted.

Then, right before his eyes, a holographic image of Peter popped up. The three-dimensional figure looked at him like it was aware of Tony's presence. Tony flinched from where he was sitting while his eyes were staring at the illusional version of Peter. The expression on his face seemed like he was both aghast and lured by a ghostly figure.

"Wow, this feels weird, I'm basically talking to myself here, right now," Peter said, clearly to himself than anyone. The awkward smile reflected his words accurately.

Tony couldn't say anything. He couldn't even move; all he could do was just stare at the virtual version of Peter with his unblinking eyes.

Peter looked lively, albeit a little pale and thin. The background wasn't included in the recording, so it wasn't easy to assume when and where it was done. Yet, judging by the relatively healthier look, it seemed to have been at least a few weeks.

"I, uh..." Peter hesitated for a moment. "I don't really know how I should do this... How I should begin."

He grinned sheepishly, which pierced Tony's heart and ripped it wide open. It was the Peter he had always known, the way the boy always had been.

Peter fell quiet for a brief moment.

"I... don't know how long I have left and... I thought it would be better to... do this when I can."

Tony couldn't help himself tightly clapping his hand over his mouth. If he didn't, he was about to cry out loud; and he didn't want to miss a single breath that his son had left, even if it was merely a digital recreation of it.

"Gosh, maybe I should start again. FRIDAY, edit that out, please? I don't think that wasn't a good start," Peter said as he looked upward, scratching the back of his head.

It was clear that FRIDAY hadn't obliged. It seemed like the AI was also trying to save up all the data it could get of Peter's.

"So, I'll start this again," Peter said. Then he turned his eyes back at Tony. "Hey, Dad. I... Gosh, I can't go one without saying the inevitable, can I?"

A pause.

"I guess... I guess by the time you're seeing this... That would mean that I'm... gone."

Tony swallowed hard.

"And I know... I know that you've been working so hard for me. You don't have to tell me. I just know. And I'm so grateful for that. Not just for that but for all the things that you've ever done for me. You're the best dad in the world world."

Peter went on calmly, choosing his words carefully.

"I know it's hard... to find whatever you're looking for. Impossible, more like. And... I just wish you didn't have to put so much effort into it."

There was another pause. A long pause.

"Gosh," Peter's face fell, bowing his head slightly as if to avoid Tony's eyes. He bit his lips for a moment and continued. "I... I never thought I would be leaving one of these. Not this soon, anyway."

The tears that had been welling up in Tony's eyes started to fall freely, drop after drop, at Peter's shaking voice.

Peter seemed to consider something. Then he took a deep breath and looked up again as if he had made up his mind about something.

"I don't want to die, Dad," came from the boy, his voice quiet but stern. "I... I'm scared. I don't want to leave yet. I'm- I'm not ready to go. I, I don't want to go."

He sniffled. Then he gave a sad but surprisingly peaceful smile.

"But... I guess I don't really have a choice in that matter, do I? I- I can't change... this."

For the first time since the message began to play, Tony let his head fall forward, unable to bear it anymore. He sniffled, weeping freely.

As if Peter was actually aware of it, he took another pause. Then a short moment later, he continued.

"And I don't think you can, either."

"I'm sorry," Tony cried. "I'm so sorry, Peter. I... I failed you."

"Don't get me wrong," Peter added. "It's not like I'm doubting what you can do. You're one of the smartest people in the world. You're a superhero. But... I just... I don't want you to blame yourself, or anyone, when... when the time comes."

He paused once again.

"Because I don't believe even for one second that any of this is your fault. And no one should, not even you, or you especially, put that on yourself."

Tony was now on his all fours, kneeling and bawling his everything out. He sobbed and wept, unaware of nothing else but Peter and his own feelings. He didn't even acknowledge that there were no more words coming from Peter. He didn't even think to check if it was Peter that went into silence or FRIDAY's courtesy of pausing the message for Tony to catch a moment. Then again, it didn't matter.

"Dad."

By the time Tony was managing to regain himself, Peter's quiet word grasped his attention.

"Promise me. That you're not going to put this on yourself."

But Tony couldn't give an answer to it.

"Promise me, Dad," Peter repeated. "Please."

"Peter..." was the only thing Tony could mutter.

"Because you've done the best you could and not one bit of this is your fault. It can't be."

Peter smiled.

"Apparently, this is how it's supposed to be. We just... we just gotta accept it."

Another pause.

"And move on."

That was the word Tony dreaded to hear. But Peter continued regardless.

"You're not losing everything, even if I'm not around, you know. You still have Mom, Harley, Morgan, the Avengers... Everyone's gonna be with you."

Peter's gaze warmly met that of Tony's.

"And you'll always have me on your side, too."

Tony, having used all his energy already, could only sniffle loudly as he looked at the image of his son. The sight of his boy smiling made his already wet eyes shed even more tears.

But right then and there came:

"I love you, Dad."

Peter gave a shy laugh before continuing.

"Now that I... Looking back, I feel like I haven't really told you this as much as I should have."

A small pause followed.

"I love you so much. And thank you. For everything you've ever done for me."

Tony couldn't help himself, even knowing that Peter was not there to hear him, as his lips slipped out the words.

"I love you, my boy. Always."

A soft chuckle broke out from Peter as he squirmed a little, likely having been shy for an emotional comment he had just given. Then the message was cut off and Peter's form dispersed and disappeared.

Tony was ready to reflectively reach out as if to uselessly attempt to grab the intangible image, but the lack of energy didn't allow his body to comply. Instead, his eyes shook violently, showing how hard much he wasn't ready to let it go.

FRIDAY did not say a word after she finished playing Peter's message. Thus, there was not a single sound as Tony sat still on the floor, staring into the air where Peter's hologram had just been. He maintained his position for a few minutes - he didn't remember the exact duration - until there was another person at the door of the lab.

"Tony?"

Tony looked up and found Bruce Banner standing there. Bruce gave him a cautious look after scanning the sight of the lab. His eyes lingered on the mess of scattered objects on the floor momentarily, but he didn't ask any questions and simply focused on Tony.

Tony looked back but didn't say anything.

"You... alright?" Bruce offered carefully.

Tony still didn't give any response. He did slowly begin to stand up, though. It took a lot of effort to muster up the last bit of energy left in his body to go up against gravity and stand straight. Bruce flinched as if he would step forward and help him but seemingly stopped himself to allow Tony some space to himself.

A moment of awkward silence filled the room and Bruce was the one to break it again.

"I, uh... everyone's wondering where you went," he said.

"Of course," answered Tony. His voice came out as something of a whisper, raw and hoarse.

Bruce took a glimpse at him, reading his face.

"You... do you need some time to yourself?"

Tony turned his head slowly, looking around the lab. Other than the broken pieces littered around him, the motionless room seemed like nothing had changed. He clenched his jaw tightly as he took another look at the materials before turning away.

"No," was the short and definite answer he spat out as he walked away and practically stormed past Bruce toward the outside.

Bruce followed his movement with his eyes but stood still for a short moment and quietly sighed to himself.

"I guess it's gonna take some time before he truly sees it, huh?" He muttered more to himself than anyone else. "Until he really forgives himself."

He stayed put until Tony was out of his sight, giving a sad eye to where Tony had vanished off toward. It took a moment before he too began to take a step and slowly headed in the same direction.

* * *

**A/N: Always, thank you so much for reading my stories! I cannot thank you enough for all your interest and support in this.**

**Wherever you are, I hope you stay safe and have a wonderful weekend!**

**Best, Lisa :)**


	4. 4 Pepper: Anguish

**A/N: ****Honestly, I can't wait to finish up this one and get it over with. It's not that I don't like it, but I don't particularly enjoy writing all these dark depressing sentences. The good news is, I guess, that this is the last of the sad and dreadful part. The next one will be the final chapter and I'm thinking of a rather hopeful wrap up.**

**This chapter came out a bit shorter than the others, which I apologize for, but I didn't want to go on and on unnecessarily, repeating the same thing over and over again just for the sake of the length. **

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**04\. Pepper: Anguish**

There is no greater pain for a parent to bury their own child.

Pepper could always relate to such a statement, but never had she expected that she would experience it first hand. She was a mother herself, who loved her children with all her hearts, and she always believed, without even a mere second of doubt, that she would live a full life with until they all grew up to have their own family.

Never had she ever thought that she would have to lose her own child as he slipped away into the grasp of the cruelest being called 'fate'.

Just what was fate? Pepper never really thought about it and she definitely never believed it. It was such an irresponsible concept, she'd thought - it was an excuse for people who wanted to be given whatever they wanted instead of working for it. It made her feel helpless and powerless, for it meant she didn't hold any control over anything in a life of her own.

She was not that kind of person. She worked hard to get what she wanted and where she wanted to be. She put her best effort into everything, proved herself as the woman capable of being not only a successful career woman but also a caring mother and wife. She had everything under control - although things weren't always perfect, she had the clear sight and hold of happiness she had accomplished.

But now she couldn't feel more helpless and lost.

Life was full of uncertainties and surprises, of course; it wasn't that she didn't know that. In fact, if she were to look back at the life she had led, nothing of it can be said to have been according to her plans. She used to tell herself, "that's what gives life a meaning."

But what was the meaning of this? What was the reason behind this?

Pepper still remembered the day she first held Peter in her arms. He once was so small in her arms - so small that she could easily hold him in one hand. She had cradled the small newborn in a warm embrace against her chest, close to her heart.

The way she held him the pale, cold remains of the same child.

She had sobbed into the chest that couldn't breathe anymore. She buried her head into the cold skin of Peter's, knowing that it was going to be the last time she would get to feel it again yet wishing and wishing for fate to grant a miracle.

Please.

Please let this be just a dream.

Pepper opened her eyes slowly and looked around. The night sky seemed quiet beyond the wide window that spanned from the floor to the ceiling. It almost seemed peaceful and numb. With the light off, the only source of light came from outside the glass window in the form of the city lights.

Pepper sat in the dark on the now-ownerless-bed. Her mind and eyes were as if they were blind to her surroundings. It felt like she was there for the first time - the space seemed so strange and distant.

It was where Pepper had spent the night that Peter was taken away from her. It was more of a subconscious action - one that she didn't even realize that she was doing. It was as if she was in a daze as her feet took her to the very room Peter once occupied. And she stayed there the whole night until the sun came up again to declare a new day, crying and living through the memory of her boy that now couldn't see the sunrise with her.

And she did so again the next night.

And the night after that, too.

But this particular night felt different from those other ones. There was no pang of stinging heart she had felt when she looked into Peter's photos, nor the tears she shed because of the coldness of his absence in his rooms.

Maybe it was the exhaustion that was finally kicking in. The emotional turmoil along with the lack of proper rest and nutrition were bound to catch up on her. She just had no energy left at this point.

Or maybe...

Pepper stood up and looked around the dark room. Although it was late in the evening, the lights of Manhattan were enough to illuminate the silhouette of the view inside it.

Everything had been left untouched. It was preserved as it was the last minute its owner was in there as if he was about to return any minute. And it was to stay that way for as long as they could keep it.

Yet, for some reason, she felt like she was saying her last goodbye to the place - as if she were to leave it behind and never return. Like she was seeing it for the last time.

Maybe it was a closure.

Pepper didn't understand. She had never thought that she could ever get over it. She didn't think that she will ever be out of the pain, the sorrow, and the longing.

But it all seemed so distant from her; so weightless like nothing was weighing down on her anymore. Like she can easily walk out of there and never look back.

Was that what burial meant? By covering the dead deep beneath the ground, the living were to walk away and never look back? Just because her precious child was now completely concealed away from the surface of the earth, could she simply turn her back and let go of all her feelings?

Because that was exactly how she was feeling. Like she had all the closure on the event. Like she was burying the existence of Peter deep into her memories and moving on.

She couldn't stand herself. She just wanted to think - tried to believe - that it was just the lack of energy talking. She had just experienced the most painful loss and had to compose herself to organize all the necessary procedures that followed. She had no time to truly reflect on herself and this was most likely her moment of a breakdown, albeit in the most absurd way.

Pepper closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Calming down, she might have been able to think straight. For a moment, she stood still, only concentrate on the complete nothingness behind her eyelids and her breathing.

"Mommy?"

The sound of the door opening reached her ears. It was followed by a soft voice of the youngest Stark.

Pepper opened her eyes as slowly as she closed them. She then turned around toward the crack of light that intruded the darkness and the shadow of the small girl.

"Sweetie," Pepper offered. It sounded almost like a whisper as if she was trying not to wake a sleeping person.

Morgan looked at her. She seemed to hesitate for a short moment but soon trotted over to her mother and clung to her. She simply buried her head into Pepper's legs. As though the five-year-old knew exactly what was needed at the moment, she had her presence known to her mother but kept the silence.

Pepper swallowed away her sudden urge to cry and crouched down. She gently pried her daughter off and adjusted into an actual hug. Morgan once again buried her head in her shoulder. The two of them wordlessly held each other for a while.

"It's so dark," said Morgan, eventually breaking the long silence.

Pepper pursed her lips.

"It is," she then said. Then she directed her words to the bodiless intelligence system. "FRIDAY, turn on the light, please?"

"Of course," came from the AI. It didn't take even half a second before the room was brightly lit.

Pepper loosened the embrace and let her little girl go. Morgan slowly backed off and looked at her. Pepper caressed her daughter's cheek.

"It's gonna be okay," she offered with a smile. "We're all gonna be okay."

She couldn't say whether the words are directed toward Morgan or herself. Yet, Morgan quietly nodded.

"I love you, Mommy," she then said. The words were simple and hushed, but also piercing at the same time. They weren't uncommon to be said around the house, but at the moment sounded so profound and unfitting like she wasn't the one that was saying those words.

Pepper's breathing hitched. She calmed herself down enough to return them with her genuine heart.

"I love you too, honey," she said. "So, so much."

And always.

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**A/N: Thank you so much for reading, favs/follows, and your comments!**

**I read all of the ones that have been left here and I will be replying to them all after I upload the final chapter.**

**Wherever you are, I hope you stay safe and have a good day!**

**Best, Lisa :)**


	5. 5 The Starks: Acceptance

**A/N:****I almost can't believe it - this is finally over!**

**I'm so thankful to everyone who has been following this series and gotten through this with me to the end. And I'm so sorry for taking so long to finish up the story.**

**This chapter is on a much more hopeful note. And you'll find out yourself as you read it, but I'm assuming that the events from _Captain America: Civil War_, _The Avengers: Infinity War_ and _The Avengers: Endgame_ didn't take place.**

**I've gotten a lot of comments that I've made everyone cry so hard, and I am sorry for that (Or not, since it was the purpose of the story after all lol). Hopefully, you won't cry with this one.**

**Anyway, here's the finale for this little story. I hope you enjoy!**

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**05\. The Starks: Acceptance**

The family of Stark was well known for the intimacy and the close bond they shared among themselves. Having 'suffered' from the distant relationship he had with his own father, Tony Stark had made sure to spare his children from such experience. Although their daily conversations always reeked of sarcasm and sass, care and affection were what based them.

This solidarity was best shown through their birthdays - it was a rule that had never been made official but was considered so nonetheless for all four of the Starks to reunite on those dates. Regardless of where they were or what they were doing, they managed to make time for at least a meal together on those days. It was an opportunity for each of the members to take a break from their respective hectic lives and remember what is important to them.

Among all the birthdays they got to celebrate together, Morgan had one date that she looked forward to the most - and it wasn't her own.

"Happy birthday," said Morgan softly. She was holding a framed picture in her hand. It portrayed a five-year-old herself and her brother, who was grinning wide in a playful manner. Her eyes were locked on his face. "Peter."

"Morgan!" A muffled call from her mother came from behind the closed door. "Time to go, honey!"

Morgan put the frame back on her vanity, where it always was. She looked in the mirror and checked her appearance again, brushed her hair once more, and picked up her purse before she exited her room.

August 10th. It was the day Peter Stark was born into this world. And it was also the day when everyone - that is, not only the bearers of the name of Stark but including any and all members of their extended family - celebrated and remembered the lost boy together.

"You know," Sam Wilson began, putting down the wine glass he had just drunk from. "I always thought that he would be the one to become the next Iron Man."

It was right in the middle of the evening when all the participants were sitting around the large table full of half-eaten food and drinks in the dining room of the Avengers compound private residential section. Peter's memorial dinner always took place in this particular place for one, Peter loved spending time with the Avengers in their homebound, so he would have loved hanging out in the newly built Avengers headquarters; and two, it was spacious enough to accommodate all the willing participants.

"Nice to know that you have such little faith in me," Harley commented sarcastically before sipping on his portion of wine.

Sam smirked as he held his hands up in defense.

"I'm not saying you're not the material, too," he said. "It's just that he had that kind of personality, you know? That sort of-" he stopped midsentence, considering his word choices. "Sensitivity and uptight-y morality"

That brought chuckles from here and there around the table.

"I knew you weren't just going to say something nice," Morgan said amusedly, shaking her head.

"What? It's a compliment," Sam sounded as if he was deeply offended.

"I'd say it is, considering his usual behaviors," Natasha added quietly with a smile of her own.

"Well, Harley's doing a good job at that," Steve added. He looked at Harley. "And I know Peter would be very proud of you."

Harley smiled softly.

"I bet he'd say that," he said. "I also bet that he'd be scolding me for all the mistakes I make."

"That's because you need to look out for yourself more," Wanda offered. "You and your heroics are something we don't really approve, either."

"Do you think Peter would have been any better?" Harley questioned with a raised eyebrow. "He'd be jumping right into danger more often than me."

"I'd like to object to it just to get on your nerves," Sam chimed in, "but knowing the kid, I can't disagree. Damn Stark. You two always have been the striking mini versions of him."

"Just imagine," Clint said. "If those kids were all running around out there at the same time, these two," he indicated to where Tony and Pepper were sitting together "would be ten times older by now."

"That would have been a nightmare," Rhodey joined in with a nod of his head. "Tony would have been freaking out. He wouldn't have allowed it."

"That would have happened anyway," Tony was the one to talk. "Stubborn brats. These two had already made it clear that they didn't want to go and take over the company. They'd rather do all the mechanical stuff here."

"For which I'm so grateful to her," Harley said, nodding to his right side, where Morgan was sitting.

"Unlike you two, I'm gonna be the next Pepper Potts," she said casually with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm also thankful that I don't have competitions within my own family."

"Speaking of which," said Natasha. She threw a warm glance at Morgan. "How was your first year in college?"

Then the focus of the conversation moved to Morgan. Being the genius she was, she had skipped multiple classes and moved on to college early on. The topic brought Cooper and Lila Barton to join in as well with their share of tales. For a while, it went on like any other family dinner, as if they had never gone through one single tragedy in their lives. Smiles and laughter filled the table, with everyone leaning back to enjoy a truly happy family reunion.

The time flew, and the darkness deepened as the plates were emptied and different emotions were shared. Desserts and game night followed, and everyone split into different groups to spend time according to their preferences. Pepper, Wanda, Laura, and Natasha shared some more drinks with casual chat on the side. Sam and Clint were busy going up against each other on whatever games they could find on the Play Station set up in the lounge, while Steve and Bucky laid back and spectated them with amusement. Even Thor and Loki seemed to enjoy the little competition between the two fully grown men. Cooper and Harley seemed to be in a conversation with Vision, Bruce, Rhodey, and Tony while Morgan decided to catch up with Lila and MJ. Ned was talking about different pop culture with Nathaniel, entertaining the youngest Barton. It wasn't as loud as a wild party and the mood was rather calm, but it was nowhere near depressing and gloomy - rather, it was relaxing.

At one point, Morgan looked around at the big lounge to take in the view of the people she loved. And she could easily picture Peter among them. A slight sore shot through her heart at the thought of her brother. It couldn't be helped - she might have learned to live with the loss, but the mark it left will last forever.

As Morgan broke out of her brief trance back to whatever Lila and MJ were talking about, she almost missed Harley quietly disappearing around the corner that led to the hallway. One might have thought that he was just taking a short visit to the toilet, but for some reason unknown, Morgan felt a strong urge to follow him.

"Excuse me," she told her company. "I need to use the bathroom for a bit."

Lila and MJ dismissed her easily with a smile.

Morgan followed the path Harley had just taken. She spotted the silhouette of him in the dark hallway just as he disappeared through the glass door toward the outside. Morgan slowly walked up to the door but she didn't open it. Instead, she watched her brother through the large floor-to-ceiling window.

Harley slowly strolled on the trail between the well-trimmed trees. It was laid toward the big lake before which Harley stood still. From where Morgan was looking, she could only see the shaded backside of Harley's figure under the star-lit night sky. It looked like he was in a different world, separated from the one Morgan was standing in and as if no one should dare break him out of there. Thus, Mogan just watched from the distance for a good minute, letting him lost in his thought. Then she slowly pushed the door open and quietly approached him. The calm night breeze blew over, surrounding and embracing her softly.

She took one step after another as if she was slowly counting each and every one of them toward her brother. The soft wind and leaves rustling among themselves seemed to cover any sound she was making. Harley didn't seem to notice her approaching - or at least he didn't show any acknowledgment.

It took about two minutes for her to reach Harley. She stood next to him and looked out toward the still surface of the lake. The deep waters looked like the night sky itself, reflecting the stars and the darkness.

"He would have turned twenty-five today," Harley said quietly. He didn't look at Morgan, as his eyes were set forward.

Morgan didn't answer. She just stared at the horizon just like her brother.

"He once told me," Harley continued, his tone barely above a mumble, "that he wanted to be sixteen."

And he never made it. He was only fifteen when he died; the same age as Morgan was now.

"I sometimes think about what he would be doing right now if he was still alive," said Harley. "You know, Sam's right. If he was alive, he would have been wearing Dad's armor. He always loved the Iron Man suits."

"You're doing great, too," Morgan said for the first time.

"He would have been better," was Harley's reply. Yet, it didn't sound grim nor sorrowful. Rather, it sounded factual as if he was stating something so obvious and true. "Truthfully, I don't think I ever wanted to be the next Iron Man. I was more into technology and mechanics."

"Do you regret it?" Asked Morgan.

There was a pause.

"No," he said finally, after a dragged silence. "I like it. More than I thought I would."

Morgan smiled.

"You're a great hero material, Harley. You've always been my hero," she said. Then she paused a little before she added, "and Peter's, too."

Harley pursed his lips and fell silent. He breathed in the night air slowly, feeling the wind against his skin.

"Ten years already," he said. "I can't believe it's already been that long. I never thought I'd get over it."

"I bet Mom and Dad didn't, either," Morgan replied.

"It took so long for us to just talk about it, didn't it?" Said Harley. There was a smile in his voice; a warm yet a little big sarcastic smile. "Without being depressed about it?"

"I guess it did," said Morgan. "But honestly, I don't remember that well by now. And... I don't think I would have remembered Peter at all if I didn't have all the home videos and the messages he left for me, for us."

She let out a deep breath. Her heart was heavy and she began to feel her eyes slightly watering.

"And I know I shouldn't... I loved him so much and I still would have forgotten him... Forgotten that he was ever part of my life. And I feel so bad about it."

Harley looked at his sister for the first time. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, gently rubbing his hand on her arm comfortingly.

"You were little," he said. "It's natural. I practically don't remember anything around your age at that time."

"I know," Morgan replied, swallowing down her tears and the sudden guilt. "I just... I want to keep remembering how much he meant to us. It's just not fair that I don't think about him as often as I should."

Harley sighed softly. He pulled his sister into a full embrace.

"He wouldn't want you to feel that way," he said into her ear. "Just because you don't talk or think about him consciously, doesn't mean that he's not part of your life anymore. He had shaped us. You, me, Mom and Dad. He made us into who we are. As long as you know that, you're not abandoning him."

He paused for a moment.

"Don't you know Peter? He would want us to be happy. That's why we're doing this whole thing in the first place, remember?"

Morgan nodded against her brother's chest. She hugged him tightly, practically clinging onto him.

Harley held her as he soothingly caressed her back. He did so for a few good minutes until Morgan was finally able to compose herself and back out.

"You okay now?" Harley asked with a soft smile, looking into her eyes.

Morgan nodded.

"Peter is always Peter," Harley said with a smirk. "He always was the peacemaker in this family. Always the bridge that tried to get everyone back together."

"Well, for tonight, I think you can share a bit of credit, too," Morgan said, returning a smile.

Harley softly chuckled.

"Nah. I learned it from him. It's all his."

Then he looked out at the waters once more. He took the sight fully in with warmth-filled eyes before turning back and facing Morgan.

"We should probably get back," he said. "Before Mom and Dad freak out and everyone turns the whole place upside-down."

Morgan giggled slightly in agreement.

The two of them turned around and started to take a step back to the building. They, however, froze momentarily at what met their eyes.

Tony and Pepper were standing by the door, looking at them with a smile on their faces. Harley gently nudged her sister toward their parents and they slowly walked to meet them.

The moment they reached the senior Starks, Morgan sped up and practically rammed into her father, putting her arms tightly around his waist. Tony was taken aback for the slightest moment but returned the hug. He looked at Harley with questioning eyes, who just gave the older man a shrug of his shoulders and a glance upward, toward the sky. He then looked at Pepper, who smiled warmly. She then reached out toward him, who approached her immediately and embraced her. There were no words exchanged among them, for there were none necessary.

Morgan spent at least half a minute before she eventually let go of her father.

"We're about to start the movie now," Tony said. "Might as well join everyone back in there."

"Which one are we watching today?" Morgan asked.

"The fourth one," replied Tony. "Or is it the first one? They've got the weirdest numbering, I can never tell. The one where Luke Skywalker meets Obiwan and saves Leia and all that."

Harley smirked.

"His favorite. Of course." He said. "Ned's gonna love it."

"It is his day, after all," Morgan added.

Pepper smiled and gestured toward the inside, taking the lead. The four of them all stuck to one another as they went through the door together, their bonds stronger than ever. Their tragic loss had broken them, but it also had brought them together, reminding them how important each one meant to the other.

After all, Peter had always been - and always will be - the bridge, the link, and the heart of the Starks.

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**A/N: ****I did make it sound like this series is now over. But the truth is... it's not over just yet. I have an alternate ending coming up right away (literally right away, as I'm uploading it right after this one - the title is "The Heart of the Starks: One in a Trillion") and I will be continuing on from there. The alternate ending is a happy one, so if you want some twist of fate on a brighter term, you can check that one out, too!**

**As always, thank you so much for reading this, liking it and leaving comments. Although I have failed to reply to some, I do read all of them and appreciate them so, so much! I'll try to answer all the comments from now on!**

**Wherever you are, I truly hope you stay safe and have a great day!**

**Best, Lisa :)**


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